With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I wanted to take a look at a film that is perfect for a movie date night during Valentine’s Day weekend! And for this review, I wanted to take a look at a beloved romantic comedy from 1989 that is said to be one of the funniest romantic comedies ever released (and I haven’t seen it until just recently) - the Rob Reiner classic “When Harry Met Sally.”
In 1977, college graduates Harry Burns and Sally Albright share a contentious car ride from Chicago to New York, during which they argued about whether men and women can ever truly be strictly platonic friends.
Ten years later, Harry and Sally meet again at a bookstore, and in the company of their respective best friends, Jess and Marie, attempt to stay friends without sex becoming an issue between them.
Known to be one of the funniest romantic comedies out there, the 1989 classic delivers a lot of really funny moments mixed in with a few scenes that can be rather touching at times.
There are quite a few scenes scattered throughout this romantic comedy that are truly hilarious and memorable. With the first couple conversations that Harry and Sally have in their car ride together and on their way to New York, I can tell that this film was going to be good. These characters have many funny moments together, and obviously, the infamous “I’ll have what she’s having” scene is the funniest (and most memorable) in the film).
The chemistry between Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal is simply incredible and that chemistry is what makes this film fresh and iconic. Even the supporting cast of Carrie Fisher and character actor Bruno Kirby (The Godfather Part II; City Slickers) adds to the humor and charm of this classic.
The close chemistry that the lead actors have really helps the ending become so impactful and even a little moving as, after all this time, Harry and Sally finally realize that they have feelings for each other. The ending of this film is probably one of the best in the romantic comedy genre and the bits that tell some stories of how couples stayed together also adds a nice touch to the film.
This 1989 romantic comedy is a timeless hit that will always continue to delight viewers with its wit, great performances and so much more. If you haven;t seen it, I highly suggest you do, and if you have seen it, I highly suggest you see it again!
A quick side note - If you are also looking for a small date night at the theater to celebrate Valentine’s early, the Dietrich Theater will still be featuring a couple films for the romantic holiday! On Wed. Feb. 12, the theater will be featuring “Roman Holiday” (12:45 pm) and “You’ve Got Mail" (6:45 pm) and on Thursday. Feb. 13 “Dirty Dancing” (6:45 pm). I initially had planned to work on a review for one of the other films as well for Valentine’s, but due to some time constraints couldn’t get to it.
Make sure to let me know on my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews page on Facebook your favorite romantic comedy or romantic drama for Valentine’s Day!
Cast: Billy Crystal (Harry Burns); Meg Ryan (Sally Albright); Carrie Fisher (Marie); Bruno Kirby (Jess); Steven Ford (Joe); Lisa Jane Parsky (Alice); Michelle Nastro (Amanda); Harley Jane Kozak (Helen)
Writer/director: Nora Ephron (writer) (Julie & Julia; Bewitched; Hanging Up; You’ve Got Mail); Rob Reiner (director)
Trivia: The segments of married couples telling the stories of how they met are real stories that Reiner collected for the film. The filmmaker then hired actors to replay the stories. According to Ephron, the infamous “I’ll have what she’s having” line was actually suggested by Billy Crystal. “When Harry Met Sally” was ranked No. 6 on AFI’s list of the ten greatest films in the Romantic Comedy genre
MPAA: Rated R (running time 95 minutes)
Where to find the movie? You can find this beloved romantic comedy on Paramount Plus, and rent it via YouTube, AppleTV, and Fandango.
Writer’s note: The Dietrich Theater will be starting up their Winter Film Festival on February 21st! Make sure to keep on checking my Facebook review page to see what upcoming film festival selections and much more that I plan on checking out over the next few weeks!
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